God our Father, let the Spirit you sent on your Church to begin the teaching of the gospel continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (NOM, Opening Prayer)

    What the Novus Ordo is asking for is anyone's guess. The Novus Ordo states that the Holy Spirit needs to work through the world yet doesn't say what that work is. The Traditional Rite tells us that work is us being truly wise and ever rejoicing in His Holy consolations. What the Novus Ordo implies, the Traditional Rite spelled out explicitly. Yet the purpose of a reform is to clarify those things that were implied, to better bring them out. This is but further evidence that the Novus Ordo Missae cannot be called a reform of the Traditional Rite, but an entirely new rite in itself. Both liturgies then go into Acts 2:1-11, so we need not focus on that particular part. We shall next focus on the end of the Responsorial Psalm of the Novus Ordo. The Novus Ordo for its selection uses Psalm 104:1, 24 / 29-30 / 31, 34. The majority of the omissions one would not really complain about, other than wondering why one needs to do such selective editing of the text. Verse 32 says the following: "If God glares at the earth, it trembles; if God touches the mountains, they smoke!" This certainly has nothing to do with the "one of the guys" divinity the Novus Ordo presents us today, as it talks about the tremendous power of God. The Psalm ends with the statement "May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah!" The Novus Ordo does away with the conclusion of this magnificent Psalm, presumably because of the harsh tone it takes towards those who do not follow God and are in sin. This violates the "comfort zone" that we try so hard not to violate today, since harsh rebukes are never necessary, only "fraternal dialogue." Next we shall turn our attention to the Second Reading, and the two options the priest may employ in choosing what parts of Scripture the faithful shall hear, and more importantly, what the faithful shall not.

    The entire buzz in the Church today is the Charismatic Movement, which supposedly is the "Spirit manifesting itself in the New Springtime", yet in reality found its roots in a bunch of dissenting liberal Catholics who sought the spirit from heretics. All too often, they have an overemphasis on tongues, and constantly speak of the wonders of the Spirit's work in heretical sects. With this in mind, what the Novus Ordo chooses to omit is rather interesting. I shall hereby list the "first option" of the Second Reading, what the Novus Ordo omits I shall point out in bold.

Therefore, I tell you that nobody speaking by the spirit of God says, "Jesus be accursed." And no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. (NOM, 1st Corinthians 12:3-13, omitted verses in bold)

    First we are told that one cannot speak by the Spirit of God and curse Jesus. In other words, the heretic is not of God, but is resisting God, one way or another. Degree of culpability is irrelevant; the point is that resistance is there. They are not working "in the Spirit" nor do they have the Spirit of Truth residing within them. Paul gives two instructions here that the Spirit does not work in those who curse Christ by their rejection of truth, while also stating that nobody can even know Christ is Lord except by the Spirit's power. Yet by omitting that first part, it makes it real easy to talk about "the works of the Spirit" in heretical Protestant sects, since "what unites us is greater than what divides us." Protestants after all do believe in Jesus, therefore the Spirit is working through them just as us Catholics many in the Novus Ordo tell us. The second omission outlines all the various roles the Spirit works in the Church. The Charismatic movement, many times denies these gifts in the sense that one "must" have the gift of tongues to have the Spirit working through them. Indeed, I dated a "Catholic Charismatic" in the past, and was essentially told that since I am not constantly following visible outward expression of emotion "The Spirit is not working through me." Here we see the distinct roles people are given by the Spirit for service in the Church. Yet since this entails service, one of the evil words today for "modern man" anything entailing service really needs to be diluted as much as possible. Could a Charismatic "Mass" have this for its reading, then go off and lead the entire congregation into speaking in tongues for an undetermined time? Let us make clear we are not stating that the Charismatic movement was caused by these changes. Yet there was a reason the Charismatic movement did not infiltrate the Church until 1967, and even then did not pick up steam seriously until well afterwards. The Church's immune system repelled the nonsense of the Charismatic from Protestantism that even Conservative Evangelicals rightly find ridiculous. In short, the changes, while not directly causing the Charismatic movement to infiltrate the Holy Church with her erroneous teachings (indeed Fr. John Hardon, one of the most well known catechists of the Church since Vatican II viewed the movement largely from the devil), it became a lot easier to creep in under "fraternal dialogue" and ambiguity in ecumenism. The second option being Romans 8:8-17, which talks about how we must be in the Spirit in order to please God, and talking about that if we do certain things, we aren't in the Spirit. It entails putting to death the flesh, and suffering with Christ. Bodily mortifications and gladly enduring suffering, as we demonstrated during our analysis of the Lenten Season (see the Columns entitled "The Disciplines of Lent") are two things which certainly the Novus Ordo wants nothing to do with in her liturgy. After the chanting of Veni Sancte Spiritus, we next turn to the Gospel for both liturgies. Interestingly enough, The Novus Ordo has at its disposal two Gospels they can choose to read. Let us begin our examination.

At that time Jesus said to His disciples, "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and will make Our abode in him: he that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words. And the word which you have heard is not Mine: but the Father's who sent Me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told yon' before it come to pass: that when i shall come to pass you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not any thing. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father hath given Me commandment so do I." (TM, Gospel, John 14: 23-31).

    Now let us look at the two options of the Novus Ordo which also uses John 14, but does not go past verse 26.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20: 19-23, First Option)

OR (OMISSIONS INCLUDED IN BOLD)

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him." Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, "Master, what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. (John 14:15-26)

    The First Gospel talks about how the Apostles hid after Christ's death because of fear of the Jews, and also talks of Christ's miraculous appearing before them, though the doors were locked. That's a little too Anti-Semitic and smacks of the supernatural, so of course, let's make that optional. One notices quite a bit left out in the second option, removing any reference to the fact that those of this world are not in the Spirit of Truth, and only those who keep the commandments of Christ have the Spirit. Those who are not obedient to Christ's teaching (which would entail being Catholic) are classified as of the world. They do not have Christ's presence, yet we have His presence, for He assured that presence remains with us. Furthermore, He talks about not only having the commandments (Which the Jews did), but actually observing them is what gets us the love of Christ. Again, far too anti-Semitic, and anti-modern man, this has to go. To avoid the taint of "Anti-Semitism" the liberals perceive in the Gospels, and to remove any statement of the fact that those who claim to be working in the Spirit, yet do not have the Catholic faith are deceivers and of the world, the Novus Ordo had to do some creative editing. That's the manipulators' little secret as we now move on to the Secret of the Mass.

Sanctify, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gifts we offer, and shed upon us the light of the Holy Spirit to the purifying of our hearts. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. (TR, Secret)

Lord, may the Spirit you promised lead us into all truth and reveal to us the full meaning of this sacrifice. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (NOM, Prayer Over the Gifts)

    The Traditional Secret, as it always does, is very short, but very rich at the same time. It asks that the Holy Ghost bless that which we offer up to God, and asks in the same breath that our hearts may be purified. This connects the sacrifice we offer with the purification of our souls. Not only are our sins forgiven, but we are changed inwardly because of this. This can happen because God's wrath is appeased, another reference to the propitiatory nature of the Sacrifice. Conversely the Novus Ordo asks that the Spirit lead us into all truth, and reveal to us the meaning of the Sacrifice. Well, when the prayers are so ambiguous as to omit any clear meaning of a propitiatory sacrifice, perhaps one does need supernatural wisdom to understand just what these prayers mean! Furthermore, is the truth of the sacrifice being offered different from "all truth?" What exactly does this prayer mean? There are more questions than there are answers, but again, this is the lovely product of liturgical reform, somehow this clarified the Traditional Mass!?! Let us now continue to the Post Communion.

May the in-pouring of the Holy Ghost cleanse our hearts, 0 Lord; as dew sprinkled over our innermost being, may His presence render us fruitful in good works. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. (TR, Postcommunion)

Father, may the food we receive in the eucharist help our eternal redemption. Keep within us the vigor of your Spirit and protect the gifts you have given to your Church. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. (NOM, Prayer After Communion)

    A few questions come to mind. First, what kind of food do we receive in the Eucharist? How does it help our eternal redemption? The Traditional Rite talks about how the Holy Ghost cleanses our hearts, and renders us fruitful in good works. That, my dear friends, is how the Eucharist aids in our eternal redemption. Is it any wonder that we are going through a crisis of faith in the Church today, as many do not understand the basic teachings? Yet the liturgy instructs the people in these things. When one sees a correlation between those things the people are not well educated on in catechesis, and that which was omitted from the liturgy, this must warrant serious inspection, not merely brushing it to the side as those defenders of the Novus Ordo do. Let us pray the Holy Ghost will enlighten them.

To contact Kevin or ask him any questions, click on his name above. For past articles in this series, see www.DailyCatholic.org/2004lex.htm Archives